French Shore

French Shore, part of the coast of Newfoundland where French fishermen were allowed to fish and to dry their catch after France gave up all other claims to the island in 1713; previously, Newfoundland had been claimed by France although occupied by England. As defined by the Treaty of Paris (1783), the French Shore extended westward around the island from Cape St. John in the north to Cape Ray in the southwest.

In the 1880s Newfoundland began to develop a lobster fishery, and factories were built on the French Shore. France claimed that this activity interfered with its treaty rights and lodged a protest in 1886. In 1887 a French warship destroyed property at Port Saunders and in 1889 at Meagher’s Cove. In 1888 Newfoundland protested against the interference of the French and against the construction of French lobster factories.

France and Great Britain worked out a modus vivendi in 1889, giving each lobster packer a specified strip of coast under the control of British and French commodores, but Newfoundland refused to recognize the agreement. Finally, on April 8, 1904, France sold its claims for 1,375,000 francs.